Frisky Little Skeleton
by ADB-Fantasy
Summary: Humans are made up of a body and a soul. Without its partner, the remaining part has difficulty functioning; when a soul is stolen, the body has no determination left. But what happens when it's offered, and some determination gets left behind? Well, it can't replicate a human soul. But maybe it's enough for the soul of a monster.
1. Broken

It started off so well.

Frisk had saved the world, saved their friends, and even saved Asriel. The battleground had faded, and where a reality-breaking god-like entity had once floated, there was now just a small monster child wiping away his tears. Asriel apologized to Frisk, ended up learning their name, and explained why they felt that they couldn't be forgiven. Frisk forgave them anyways, of course.

Their journey was at an end, and after ages of waiting, monsters were finally going to reach the surface. Although they hadn't actually been in the underground that long, even with so many resets, it felt like they'd been on a huge journey. Frisk was contented, and excited too - but as Asriel spoke, they began to realize that their body was exhausted. With their constant activity, and the determination they'd been feeling all this time, it had been so easy to forget just how much they'd been through physically - let alone mentally and emotionally.

"Oh, Frisk! Are you okay?" Asriel asked in concern, an expression of apparent guilt on his face.

 _I'm fine. It's just been a very long day._ Frisk signed in response.

Asriel laughed nervously. "Yeah. One really, really long day."

 _That reminds me - I don't think I'm gonna reset any more after this._ Frisk admitted. _Now that you can break the barrier, I don't think it would be fair to force them back underground._

"Y-you already guessed that I was gonna do that, huh?" Asriel blinked in surprise.

Frisk smiled in amusement. _Well, you are, aren't you?_

Asriel nodded, a determined look appearing in his eyes. "Yeah, that's right. I can feel everyone's souls, and all of them are burning with the same desire to be free." He floated up into the air, stopping at what seemed like halfway to the top of the barrier. Countless white souls appearing and circled around him, as well as the six human souls. It was an an incredible sight - even after everything Frisk had seen so far, they couldn't help but stare.

Deep in their own soul, Frisk began to feel a familiar sense of determination...but this time, it was different. There was more to it - like all of the monsters and other humans were calling out to them. It resonated within them, and they accepted it proudly, lending all of their energy towards hoping for Asriel to succeed.

In response, Frisk's soul appeared in front of them, shining brightly; for once they felt truly safe exposing it like this. Their vision began to blur, and they faintly wondered when they had last slept. Frisk sat down, shrugging it off - they could sleep after the barrier had broken.

Luckily, with all of the power being exerted, they didn't have to wait much longer for that to happen. Eventually, the barrier began to weaken, then crack, and finally it shattered completely. Bright light filled the room, and tiredness swept over Frisk. They laid down on the floor, sighing to themselves. For now, they would have their hard-earned rest, and then they'd go see their friends.

* * *

When everyone else woke up, they found Frisk laid face-up in the barrier chamber, seemingly fast asleep. Papyrus had immediately rushed over to Frisk, picking them up and asking if they were okay. The others were concerned, but did not panic - Frisk's soul wasn't out, so they were probably fine. At Toriel's suggested, they set Frisk down in the cave beyond the throne room and waited for them to get up.

"They'll be fine!" Undyne had reassured everyone. "Anyone that can get past me is unstoppable!"

"Nonetheless, I think it is best if we watch over them until they awaken." Toriel stated gently.

Papyrus stepped forward, placing a hand proudly on his chest. "Fear not, Asgore's clone! I, The Great Papyrus, will protect our dear friend Frisk, no matter what!"

Toriel laughed. "Actually, my name is Toriel."

"She introduced herself to us when everyone met in front of the barrier." Sans pointed out.

"Oh." Papyrus looked away conspicuously. "I knew that."

They continued to wait for a while longer, talking to each other about what they'd do on the surface. Despite their worries regarding Frisk's health, each of them was happy to be leaving the underground imminently, and they were all too happy to use it as a distraction from their present anxiety.

Unfortunately, they could only occupy themselves for so long, and the only reward their patience earned them was silence on the part of Frisk.

"They have been asleep for a very long time." Papyrus noted. "Whatever they did must have been very tiresome!"

Alphys sat down next to Frisk, monitoring their condition carefully. "T-they're still breathing - so t-that means they're still alive, right?"

Toriel, who was sitting on the other side of the child, nodded. "If they continue to sleep, we will need to move them into a bed and get them some food."

"Why did we put them on this stone floor to begin with?" Asgore wondered with a frown. "It seems like a very uncomfortable place to sleep."

Sans shrugged. "Cause if they wake up, we don't have to walk all the way over here.

The king blinked in confusion. "But my house is not far away."

Papyrus groaned. "Ugh! Sans, this is no time to be lazy! Frisk's health is at stake here!"

"Well, if you need to get Frisk to bed, don't bother waiting for me. I'll catch up with you."

"If we're gonna do it, we may as well do it now!" Undyne grabbed Frisk, lifting them over her shoulder."

"O-oh, please be careful, Undyne!" Alphys said anxiously.

Undyne grinned. "Hey, don't worry. Maybe this will jostle them awake! What do you think, Papyrus?"

Papyrus put a hand to his chin. "Well, I wouldn't trust this with just anyone...but with your strength, Undyne, I am certain that you will be able to jostle them in a properly safe manner!"

"That's right! Nobody's more careful than me! Fuhuhuhuhuhu!" Undyne bounded off through the throne room, keeping a tight hold on the human over her shoulder, though it still looked like a very bumpy ride. Papyrus and Alphys ran after her, while the others followed at a brisk walk, with Sans lagging behind.

When they arrived at the house, they found Frisk on top of Asgore's bed blankets, sprawled out on their back. Sans was already standing next to the bed, while Undyne was staring at him in exasperated confusion. Toriel quickly tucked them into bed, then pulled up a chair and sat next to them. The guard captain muttered an insult and left them room, while Sans stood casually next to Toriel.

The group continued to wait in Asgore's house, now considerably more comfortable yet significantly more worried. Papyrus and Alphys sat in the living room, and were soon joined by Undyne. Asgore stood outside the closed bedroom door, guilt and worry highly visible on his face.

"I was sure that would work." Undyne grumbled, crossing her arms and looking at the floor.

"H-hey, don't feel bad, Undyne. Y-you got Frisk here really fast, a-and you didn't drop them or anything." Alphys said, nervously attempting to comfort her new girlfriend.

Undyne shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so. But the main point of it was to try and wake them up."

"I'm...sure it will be fine!" Papyrus said hesitantly. "They're so determined! They'll get up eventually, right?"

It ended up taking a few hours, but eventually, something did happen. The bedroom door cracked open, and Sans whispered something inaudible to Asgore. He seemed very hesitant, but Asgore clearly understood the meaning of whatever it was; his face fell into an expression of guilt and sadness. Strangely, he didn't seem at all surprised - it looked like he was resigned to it.

Alphys quickly noticed this and pointed it out to her friends, struggling to keep her composure as she watched Asgore react to the mysterious news. She already knew what it probably was, though she really wished that she didn't.

"Hey, what's he-" Undyne started to speak, then stopped as she noticed the look on Asgore's face. "Oh no."

"What's wrong?" Papyrus asked. "Why does the king look so sad?"

Asgore slowly made his way over to them, as if it would help delay the inevitable. He paused before them, only speaking after several seconds had passed. "I believe it would be best if you saw this for yourselves - but as we cannot all fit in my bedroom, I will have to..." He trailed off.

"Have to what? Is Frisk okay?" Papyrus asked fearfully.

Asgore didn't respond. Instead, he stepped out of the way, allowing Toriel to exit the bedroom and walk down the hall herself. She held in her arms a limp, motionless Frisk, her head turned down to look at the child's face. Sans followed close behind her, his stance still calm and casual, but his empty eye sockets betrayed his mood. The two of them moved Frisk all the way to the living room, Asgore watching pitifully from a distance. When Toriel got there, she allowed the group a better look at Frisk, but continued to hold onto them. They had dry closed eyes and a contented smile, yet their sweater was wet and tear-stained.

Sans moved close to Papyrus, sighing tiredly. "Frisk might not be asleep, pap."

"What? But that isn't possible...they aren't awake, so they have to be asleep!" Papyrus began to tear up once again, staring at Frisk in disbelief.

Undyne gritted her teeth, clenching her fists into tight balls. She didn't say anything, but she looked like she would have broken the whole house down right that second, if not for the fact that its owner was her king and mentor. Tears were visible at the edges of her eyes, but most of her emotional energy was being channelled into rage.

"H-how did this happen? W-what was wrong with them?" Alphys looked over Frisk's body frantically, the scientist side of her attempting to figure out the unknown situation.

Toriel looked up, revealing that she was still crying herself. "They...stopped breathing, and they did not have a pulse either. I tried to help them, but it would not work."

"What about their soul? Who has it?" Undyne spoke through clenched teeth.

Sans looked off to the side. "That's the strange thing. At first we thought they were still alive, because their soul wouldn't come out - but it turns out they don't have it anymore."

Alphys gasped. "W-what? Y-you mean...that whole time, they were...?"

Sans shook his head. "Nah, they were definitely breathing when I first came in."

"So someone took their soul before their body died?" Papyrus asked, a hopeful tone creeping into his voice.

Toriel gave a small nod. "That is the only possibility, since the barrier was broken when we awoke. But I do not know who could have done this"

Undyne stomped the ground, bringing a fist into the palm of her hand with a loud thwap. "Damn it! When I find them, whoever they are, I'll make them wish they hadn't even looked at Frisk!"

"If we get their soul back, you can help them, right?" Papyrus turned to Alphys, hesitantly optimistic about this new possibility.

Alphys frowned. "Their soul is...probably gone by now. Even if we did find it, I have no idea if I would be able to do anything to help them."

Papyrus's face fell instantly. "Oh."

Undyne put a hand on Papyrus's shoulder, intending to silently comfort him, only to be met with a sudden skeletal hug. She returned it unflinchingly, her expression softening as she looked at him.

Asgore coughed. "Those of who are willing should prepare for the funeral. We must pay our respects to them before we exit the mountain."

Nobody in the room disputed this - even Toriel was in agreement with him for once. Alphys quickly got out her phone and dialed a number, stepping into the kitchen in order to be discreet. Sans slipped out of the house unnoticed, taking yet another shortcut while everyone was preoccupied.

"Frisk, please...come back." Papyrus pleaded, gazing at the child's body from over Undyne's shoulder.

But nobody came.

* * *

Soon enough, the whole group was gathered on the cliff outside the underground's exit, now with the addition of Mettaton, Napstablook and Shyren. Alphys had called Mettaton to deliver the bad news, and the robotic star immediately decided to bring both of his bandmates along, since Frisk had been exceptionally kind to both of them. Napstablook - who had been filled in on Frisk's name by Mettaton - floated behind everyone else, trying not to harm anyone with their acidic tears, while Shyren floated close to Mettaton and hid her face. Mettaton himself was in his newly-completed EX body, sadly looking at the grave before them.

They decided it was best to place the grave just outside the underground's exit, as a symbolic gesture of gratitude for helping them get there. The grave itself had been dug, and later filled in, by Undyne using a shovel made of water. The resulting grave was surrounded by dirt debris, had a conspicuous mound of dirt rising above the gravestone, though it wasn't large enough to obscure the headstone. Frisk's name was carved onto the stone, captioned with the words "friend to all monsters". Below that, a variety of symbols were carved into the headstone's lower half - the delta rune, a pair of crossed bones, the "MTT" logo and a heart were all visible.

Toriel was the first person to speak. She had calmed down somewhat since the initial discovery, and so was able to conduct herself in a formal manner. "As you are all aware, human funerals are vastly different from those of monsters, and I fear that even Frisk would not have been able to tell us the proper procedure in great detail. However, I still feel that they deserve more than what our traditions will provide. Each of us will step before the grave, in whatever order we wish, and say a few words about Frisk."

Toriel herself turned towards the grave, taking the opportunity to speak first. "When I initially met Frisk in the Ruins, my feelings about them were conflicted. On the one hand, it was very nice to finally have some company again, but I was also afraid of what might happen to them while they were in the underground. When they told me they wanted to leave, I was terrified - I could not bear the thought of seeing another child perish. However, now that my fears have come to pass, I find that I do not regret allowing them to do so. On a personal level, and on behalf of monsterkind, I am thankful for everything Frisk has done. I only wish that they could have lived to see this." She watched the grave for a few more seconds, then reluctantly stepped back, drying her eyes with her hands.

Everyone turned to Asgore next, perhaps as an instinct from the marriage he and Toriel once had. He looked around at everyone, then stepped forward solemnly. "Although I have known Frisk for less time than anyone else here, I am still amazed by the kindness they showed. Even knowing what I was going to do, they were so very patient. I regret that I did not apologize to them when I had the chance." He bowed before the grave, then moved back into the crowd.

The moment Asgore was done, Papyrus came forward. He was already tearing up, but he ignored it and began speaking immediately. "Human...Frisk. I know that you probably cannot hear me, but I will address you directly even so. You have solved many puzzles during your time in the underground, and it is perfectly reasonable for you to be tired. After all, not everyone is as good at puzzles as the great Papyrus, and even I must sleep once in a while. But now it seems like you'll be gone for a very long time." He paused. "Do not worry about me. I will keep on believing in myself and being a cool friend...even if I really miss you." He hurried back once he had finished speaking, taking his place next to Sans.

Undyne strode up to the grave, stopping directly in front of the mound of dirt and gazing down at it. "Hey, punk. You know I've always be blunt with you, and I've got some feelings I need to let out, so I'm just gonna say it: why'd you have to die?" She growled. "Back when I was out to get you, nothing I tried could slow you down! And then, even after being rejected, you refused not to become my friend. You got through all of that, and now I think you're pretty great, so why? How come you only gave up now, of all times?" When there was only silence in response to her question, Undyne kicked at a rock and sat down next to Alphys, who gave her a nervous hug.

After Undyne's speech, there was a short pause, during which most the remaining speakers looked at each other awkwardly. Mettaton, recognizing that everyone else was nervous about coming up, strode forward and turned to face the other monsters. "I know that this is a tragedy - many of your are heartbroken, and I'm not at all pleased with it myself. But to be honest with all of you, I still feel overjoyed about everything else that's happened. Everyone is free, I can be a star for both humans and monsters - and most importantly, I've reunited with friends I never should have left behind." He smiled sadly, glancing at Alphys, Napstablook, and Shyren. "All of this is thanks to Frisk - without them, we'd still be stuck behind a barrier, and I wouldn't have learned my lesson. I am deeply thankful for everything they've done - And as such, my debut performance will be dedicated to them." He gave a quick bow, then rejoined the other two members of his troupe.

Alphys, who have previously been watching shyly, began to speak without actually moving from her position next to Undyne. "I-I'm with Mettaton. Frisk helped me to become a better person, and like myself more. I had a lot of good times with them, a-and I don't want to ruin those memories. S-so, for their sake, I'm going to try to move on, and focus on doing something important with my life." She didn't seem entirely confident in her own words, but they certainly seemed genuine.

Now there were only three monsters left to speak - Sans, Napstablook and Shyren. The latter two glanced at each other, then both stared at Sans, evidently expecting him to preceed them. He looked back at them, then at the grave. "I'm sorry I didn't keep my promise." He mumbled quietly.

Toriel gasped. "Sans...please do not blame yourself. It is not your fault."

Sans didn't respond.

"Um, if it doesn't bother anyone, I'd like to say something now." Napstablook said. They paused to see if it was in fact okay, only continuing after a nod from Mettaton. "I just want to say that, um, I think that Frisk is a really cool person. They were really nice to me, and they visited my house, even though it wasn't very interesting. They didn't deserve to have this happen to them...it isn't fair." They shrank back once they were done, feeling overwhelmed by the large gathering of monsters.

Shyren was the last one to come forward. She floated directly above the headstone, turned to face the other monsters, and then began to sing. It was not at all like her usual song - the tune was slow and sad, with a hint of hopefulness mixed in. She continued to sing for a full three minutes, during which everyone present listened attentively. Shyren, having become immersed in her music, did not realize until she was finished that everyone's eyes were on her. Upon noticing that this was the case, she quickly floated behind Mettaton, smiling and blushing as she peeked out at everyone.

All of that having been done, the group milled about about for a little while longer, until eventually Mettaton spoke up. "We should probably head down the mountain soon. It is absolutely critical that we make a good first impression on the humans, and a disorganized flow of eager monsters might have the opposite effect.

Toriel nodded. "Ah, you are right. These people need leadership. As many of us have noted, this is still a momentous occasion for them."

"Excuse me, Papyrus?" Asgore approached the skeleton gently.

Papyrus perked up slightly. "What is it, your majesty?"

Asgore extended a hand to Papyrus. "We will need an official ambassador to represent monsters, and I was wondering if perhaps you would be interested in this position?"

"Ambassador?" Papyrus was momentarily shocked, then he jumped up excitedly and shook the King's hand with both gloves. "I won't let you down, Asgore! Starting today, the Great Papyrus will dedicate himself to peace between humans and monsters!" The skeleton's cheery demeanor quickly returned, despite the very recent tragedy - or perhaps in defiance of it. He promptly rushed down the mountain, with everyone else following behind at various different speeds. Sans went in a completely different direction, but as usual, he somehow managed to get there before anyone else did.

In the end, the day was a success, despite everything. The monsters handled themselves well enough in public - even Undyne managed to rein in her emotions. It wasn't until everyone had gone to bed that they collectively let out their emotions.

True, things were going fairly well. But now life would never be the same again - would it?

* * *

Months later, the little grave was as lonely as the mountain it was built on - left in the past, but not forgotten. At this particular moment, another piece of the past was taking the time to keep the grave company.

If anyone had been there to ask, Flowey probably would have claimed not to care - assuming he didn't just flee immediately. And the truth was, he didn't expect to care either, not now that he was back in this body. But for whatever reason, he now felt a sense of respect towards Frisk, and if Frisk had survived, he would have been fine with them leaving him behind. That being said, he felt vaguely like he wasn't alone when he visited the grave, even though he knew Frisk wasn't in any condition to provide companionship.

Frisk's friends visited it too - some frequently, others just once in a while. Papyrus would cry, Undyne would shout, and Sans or Toriel would just stand there silently.

"I still wonder what you'd think of all this." Flowey said to the grave. "I know you'd like it, but from what I've heard them say, things are really different now. If you could be here right now, would you leave Mt. Ebott behind? Or would you come back to visit me? Who knows - maybe you'd even make up some crazy plan to take me with you." He laughed bitterly. With his experience as Asriel still fresh in his mind, he truly wished he could be out there with them - but it was even more impossible with Frisk gone. If they had been alive to begin with, he surely would have rejected anything they proposed. Now that they weren't, he found himself wondering what they would have done.

"Maybe one day, you'll rise up again. After everything you've done, I think it would be fitting."

Just then, he heard a strange scratching now. He looked around, thinking that someone might be approaching, but that quickly turned out not to be the case. Instead, the scratching sounds seemed to be coming from directly in front of him...

From the grave?

He looked down and promptly screamed, tunneling a meter back in surprise.

The mound of dirt was shaking.


	2. Risen Up

There were a lot of things Frisk didn't expect when they came to the mountain. Making monster friends, dying repeatedly, and experiencing Mettaton were all entirely unanticipated. After all, with a name like "monsters" and only legends to go on, what are you supposed to think? Thankfully, Flowey had appeared to be innocent, and Toriel actually was. And all of the other surprises had a precedent - Frisk had made friends before, the dying part was kind of like falling unconscious, and Mettaton was still better than a lot of other stuff on TV.

But waking up beneath a mound of dirt? That was new.

The first thing Frisk noticed was how strangely thin they felt, shortly followed by the realization that they couldn't sit up. They pressed up against the dirt in an attempt to shove it off, but only managed to shake it. They heard a muffled cry of surprise from above them, likely in response to the shaken dirt; they dug more frantically in response, hoping to further attract the attention of whoever it was. Soon, they could hear scratching from above, but it wasn't enough just yet.

This was usually the sort of situation when Frisk saved, right? The fact that this person was going out of their way to help, just like that...it should have filled them with determination.

But it didn't.

No matter how hard they concentrated, nothing came. Frisk felt a chill run down their spine; why couldn't they use determination? If it was gone, they couldn't save or reset! If they couldn't get out of here, what would happen to them? They began to claw desperately at the dirt, and a high-pitched voice became gradually clearer as they got closer to the scratching.

Eventually, they tore through the dirt and shot up to a sitting position, sending a small figure flying backwards. Now that they were above ground, they could see that they were on Mt. Ebbot, near a cliff overlooking the forest below.

The small figure quickly burrowed into the ground, then popped up again, revealing itself to be Flowey. That had Frisk a little confused - did Asriel really change back that fast? The thought of it made Frisk feel sorry for both versions of him.

Flowey stared at Frisk in wide-eyed shock - if it was physically possible, he'd have turned pale. "Frisk...what happened to you?"

 _What are you-_ Frisk started to sign, but stopped when they got a good look at their hands; they were entirely skeletal, without so much as a drop of blood to accompany them. They shot to their feet, frantically inspecting the rest of their body. Sure enough, their arms and legs were those of a skeleton, with only a spine and rib cage where their chest would be. Finally, touching their hands to their face revealed the shape and features of a skull.

This didn't make sense. Asriel broke the barrier, Frisk fell asleep. Now they were a skeleton, they woke up buried in dirt, and they didn't have determination.

Wait...a skeleton buried in dirt?

Slowly, Frisk turned around, staring at the headstone marked with their name. They didn't feel cold at all, but their entire body was shaking. They slowly backed away from the grave, tripping and landing in front of it.

"Frisk?" Flowey asked, looking at them nervously.

 _Why am I a skeleton?_ Frisk shakily signed.

"I don't know!" Flowey exclaimed. "I left the room after I broke the barrier, and you were still alive then!"

Frisk pulled their knees up into a fetal position, their hands still shaky as they signed. _I can't feel determination. I can't save. What happened to my soul?_

"You can't?" Now he looked horrified. He concentrated intently on Frisk for a second, then shook his head. "It's not there. You don't have a human soul."

 _How?_ That was all Frisk could manage before going back to hugging their knees.

"I felt your soul when I broke the barrier." Flowey admitted. "At the time, I didn't know what that meant - it must have gotten absorbed, then vanished with the others."

Frisk began to rock back and forth, still hugging their knees. This was too much new information, and there were too many implications. They weren't determined, they couldn't handle it.

"You can still feel all your emotions, right?" Flowey asked.

Frisk nodded.

Flowey looked down, considering the information at hand. "The only skeletons we know who move around like this are monsters."

Frisk looked up. _I'm a monster?_

He nodded. "You must be. It sounds impossible, but that's the only possibility."

Frisk watched Flowey for several seconds, looking for traces of his old malicious behaviour, but all that could be found on his face now was concern. In the back of their mind, they managed enough concentration to be proud of him. For several minutes, neither of them spoke - the mountain was extremely quiet, which only served to give the silence more weight.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Flowey eventually asked.

Frisk adjusted into a regular sitting position. _I don't know...I'm scared. Determination got me through the underground. What am I going to do without it? And what about other hu-_ Frisk stopped, looking at their bony hands again in confusion. Part of them expected that any moment, they would wake up and find their body back to normal. Most of them hoped for it.

Flowey's expression shifted yet again - it wasn't quite shock or horror, not like the way he'd been scared earlier. It seemed like a mix of surprise and sadness, but there was something else about it that Frisk couldn't place in their current state. Soon, the expression turned thoughtful again, though he still looked sad as well.

Feeling concerned about the flower now, Frisk signed to him in an effort to reassure him. _Out of everyone, I think I want to go see the skeleton brothers first. Sans is smart, Papyrus is always supportive, and they're both skeletons too._

Flowey nodded. "That actually does make sense."

 _What about you?_ Frisk asked.

Flowey shook his head. "Don't worry about me! What about you? Are you really going to go out there by yourself?"

Frisk shrugged sadly. _I don't have anybody else to go with me. Maybe I won't need to fight anyone, or I'll just encounter people who I can spare._

"The surface doesn't work like that, Frisk! There are a lot of people like me, and they stronger than you!" Flowey shouted angrily.

 _Then what do I do?_ Frisk asked him.

Flowey looked down, then back up at Frisk, seeming very conflicted about something. "I can go with you." He eventually managed to say.

Frisk jumped up in surprise. _Do you mean it?  
_  
"Yeah, I mean it. Just don't think you can put me in a flowerpot!" Flowey snapped.  
 _  
_Frisk titled their head. _I need to take you with me somehow. We can't talk or see each other while you're underground._

Flowey groaned. "Fine, then how about I just wrap around your neck for now? We can find a backpack or something later."

At first, Frisk was nervous about this idea - then they put a hand to their neck, and remembered that they couldn't choke anymore. They nodded awkwardly, and Flowey climbed up hastily. Once the Flower was securely wrapped, Frisk stood up and began to walk down the mountain.

"So, where are you going to go first?" Flowey asked.

 _There's a small town near Mt. Ebbot. We'll need to stop there first._ Frisk explained.

Flowey blinked. "Just 'a small town'? Are you not from around here?"

 _No, I'm not. I took the bus to get here. Do you know what those are?_

Flowey rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know what a bus is."

 _It'll be interesting to see what things are like now How long has it been since the barrier broke, anyways?_ Frisk wondered

"A while? I don't know, I kind of lost track of time down there." Flowey complained.

Frisk shrugged. _We'll just have to find out, then._


	3. Welcome to Glamour

_So did you really stay in there the whole time?_ Frisk asked Flowey, conversing idly as they walked down the forest path.

"Being underground wasn't the point, you idiot. It was about social isolation. I can still spy on people if I want to."

 _Does that mean you've seen some cities?_ Frisk asked hopefully.

"Sorry, but I haven't. My roots can't burrow in cement."

 _That makes sense._ Frisk acknowledged, though they were a little disappointed by his response.

The forest surrounding Mt. Ebbot was a quiet place, with most of the animals keeping to themselves. People didn't come around here very often, so it was likely to be just the two of them until they reached the town. However, this uneventful trip was actually good news for Frisk, since it gave them some time to quietly think their situation over. They thought about each of their friends, wondering where they were now that so much time had passed.

Almost immediately, Toriel came to mind. The thought of her having to lose another child was saddening - as far as she knew, they would never be coming back. They felt guilty for having put her through that, even though they weren't sure if it was actually their fault or not; they hoped they would be able to talk to her soon.

Sans's outward demeanour was probably the same as before. As Frisk had learned over the course of their adventure, Sans had more than a few dark secrets that he didn't openly discuss. Considering the way he already dealt with these problems - or rather, avoided doing so - any additional grief could be hidden in the exact same manner. It would be harder to maintain his laid-back attitude with more on his mind, but being able to live on the surface would hopefully even things out.

By contrast, Frisk was unsure of what to expect from Papyrus. Obviously, he would still be the same on most occasions, with his enthusiastic confidence and relentless optimism; it was the remaining few moments that had them worried. They had never seen the skeleton sad before, so there was no way to know for sure how he would deal with it.

Undyne was almost certainly still working hard to protect everyone, even after the official disbanding of the royal guard. Naturally, she would be saddened by the loss of a friend, but in the long run it would probably just make her even more determined to keep everyone safe - for Frisk's sake. After all, she was the heroine that never gave up - Frisk had observed that firsthand.

Alphys's situation was an interesting one. With her shyness and insecurity, one might expect her to take the loss quite hard. But she had a lot of experience dealing with death, so Frisk's absence would be an easier adjustment for her. They were more concerned with how she'd react when Frisk revealed themselves; given what had happened with the amalgamates, resurrection was probably not a happy subject for her.

Mettaton, at least, was probably still very happy. He could finally achieve he dream of becoming a real star, performing for humans on the surface. Like everyone else, he cared about Frisk, but he wasn't actually dependent on them. Considering how many people must have taken it very badly, it would probably be for the best if he had been able to move on.

Finally, there was Asgore. Although he was not responsible for Frisk's death, his history with the human souls and separate attempt to kill Frisk previously meant that in all likelihood, he felt guilty about it nonetheless. They pitied the king - and as with Toriel, they felt guilty themselves for inflicting this upon him through their death.

Between locating all their friends, sorting out the complex emotions therein, and figuring out the truth behind their resurrection, Frisk once again had a lot of responsibility hanging over them. In the past, this would have been the point where one thing or another filled them with determination. Now the feeling wouldn't come, and they weren't sure if they could ever get used to its absence. Nonetheless, they refused to give up, with the memories of all their friends driving them onward.

-

It was late afternoon by the time they arrived at the town's entrance; Frisk was exhausted, Flowey was bored, and both of them were very hungry. A small town would have been the perfect place to stop and rest, followed by an initial discussion of how to locate their companions. As a result, they were completely unprepared for what they found instead.

A large metal arch had been built over the path into town, formally marking the town's entry point. The words "Welcome to Woodvale" were written on it with neon green lights, alongside a neon pink "MTT" logo at the very top. A brightly-lit metal fence extended from either side of the arch, circling around and out of sight.

Beyond the fence, the street was lined with stores and advertisements on both sides; many of these were small and independent, but there were already several large MTT buildings visible from where they stood. Most of the advertisements prominently announced a performance by the MTT Acting Troupe, apparently scheduled for "tonight". The town's occupants were buzzing with activity, creating a sea of bodies as far as Frisk could see.

Flowey stared at the town in bewilderment. "Was it this flashy the first time you came here?"

Frisk shook their head, cringing away from the large crowd. _No, it was mostly just average. I only stopped here because it was on the way._

"In that case, someone's clearly been pretty busy." Flowey remarked, still staring at the glamorous light show as they reluctantly walked through the gate.

The crowd before them consisted of both humans and monsters, though there were more of the former than the latter. Most of the monsters here were humanoids, and didn't seem to have any trouble fitting in. Despite their social anxiety, Frisk was proud - and more than a little relieved - to see that the monsterkind had been able to integrate successfully on its own. Now the only thing Frisk had to worry about getting discovered prematurely. They knew that the monsters would be relieved to find that they had returned, but they wanted a chance to sort everything out first.

As they walked down the street, they found that people were noticing them often enough, and humans regarded them with curiosity - presumably because skeletons weren't very common monsters. Flowey got his fair share of looks from both species, which he was ignoring with visible irritation. However, none of the monsters seemed to even bat an eye at Frisk, let alone recognize them as "the human". Under these particular circumstances, they were doubly grateful that this was the case.

Eventually, Frisk managed to duck into a fast food restaurant - it only felt marginally less crowded than the streets, but Frisk desperately needed something to eat. The aesthetic was very similar to what Frisk had observed in the original MTT Resort, with an expanded version of the burger emporium's menu: it now included items such as Fabfries, Blook Burgers, Madwiches and Shyren Shakes. After a brief period of consideration, Frisk decided to get two Fabfries and a Shyren Shake. The former turned out to be a set of multi-coloured French fries, while the latter was essentially a vanilla milkshake with pictures of Shyren on the cup. Both meals were magic, of course.

As soon as they had a seat, Frisk started signing to Flowey. _I think we need to talk to Mettaton._

Flowey paused to munch on some fries before speaking. "I guess it could be a lot worse. At any rate, he might be able to help you find the rest of your friends."

 _But how are we going to find him?_ Frisk asked. _We don't even know where he lives._

"We'll just look around these stores for a little while. Wherever his house is, it's probably a big tourist spot."

They sat in silence for a little while longer, and then left the restaurant upon finishing their meal. They hurried through the crowd and made their way to an MTT-Brand Souvenir Shop, feeling a little more confident about social activity now that they had eaten. The shop contained a huge variety of different collectible items - toys, trinkets, clothing, books and even teacups. Rather than featuring Mettaton alone, the products showed a multitude of characters, many of whom were unfamiliar to Frisk. Thankfully, Mettaton himself was still the star attraction.

Frisk made their way through the store, ignoring the toys and accessories in favour of the informative literary materials. There was no question that it would be biased, but hopefully it would contain useful trivia regarding the star's current status. There was a variety of Mettaton-themed diaries, a series of novels starring Mettaton, and multiple copies of an autobiography - with photographs - written by Mettaton.

They looked around for some kind of map, but nothing of the sort appeared to be present, so they decided to pick up a copy of the autobiography instead, It was pretty likely that he'd probably want to show off his glamorous home to the readers. Sure enough, after flipping through the pages, Frisk discovered an entire section devoted to Mettaton's house: its location, its appearance, and the state-of-the-art security that protects it.

Frisk almost went and bought the book immediately, but they stopped upon noticing some additional details in the text and pictures. The section regarding the mansion repeatedly mentioned the MTT Acting Troupe, of which Mettaton was evidently the leader. A trio of humanoids robots were prominently depicted alongside Mettaton: a diminutive light blue bot with short grey hair, a muscular orange bot with stringy blond hair, and a round green bot with fluffy white hair. Shyren and Lemon Bread were also visible, the former now operating what appeared to be a rocket-powered fishbowl. Finally, Burgerpants could be seen in the background, wearing a glittery tuxedo and making one of his usual dramatic faces.

"So, have you found anything?" Flowey asked Frisk impatiently.

Frisk turned the book over to a group photo of the Troupe, taken in front of the mansion.

Flowey studied the image with apparent interest. "So all four of them are robots now, huh? That's actually pretty cool."

 _It has the mansion's address too_. Frisk explained.

"Wow, really?" Flowey blinked in surprise. "In that case, we could just go there right now."  
 _  
The mansion has really high security._ Frisk pointed out.

Flowey smiled. "Don't worry about that. You've just gotta be yourself, silly."

-

Looking at photos of the mansion was one thing, but seeing it in person was an entirely difference matter. It was surrounded by an electrified fence, which consisted entirely of poles in the shape of Mettaton's legs. The mansion's gate was connected to a security station, itself designed in the image of Mettaton's old rectangular body. There was a huge yard beyond the fence, with a large garden decorated by artistic hedges. The mansion itself was huge, with four floors and length to match. It was lit up in various shades of pink, and had spotlights on the roof that lit up the sky with Mettaton's face.

Behind them, a short path led back to the rest of the city, from which loud noise could still be clearly heard. Despite the heavy focus on Mettaton, very few people were currently interested in the mansion - probably because they knew that they wouldn't be able to see him there today.

The security guard station was occupied by Aaron the Seahorse, currently wearing a cap and tank top labeled "security". He was resting his head in one hand and idly pressing keys with the other, a bored look on his face. The keyboard made an unusual clinking sound as he typed, suggesting that it was made of metal - presumably to prevent the burly seahorse from breaking any of the keys.

"Wow, that gross sweaty guy is actually doing something for once." Flowey remarked dryly.

Frisk walked up to the security booth, nervously tapping the glass to get his attention. Aaron jumped in surprise, looking around fearfully before realizing where the sound had come from. When he noticed Frisk, he calmed down somewhat, but still remained uneasy.

"H-hey, little skeleton kid. Aaron greeted them, winking nervously.

 _Could you please help me? I need to see Mettaton._ Frisk signed.

Aaron gulped. "S-sorry, but Mettaton is busy getting ready for his show right now."

Frisk titled their head, staring up at Aaron in what they hoped was a cute manner. _Could you at least tell him that I'm here?_

Aaron's expression was one of unsettled confusion, like he wasn't sure if he should find this adorable or frightening. "U-uh, yeah, I can send him a message. I can't promise that he'll agree to see you, though."

Frisk nodded, now a little nervous themselves. Would Mettaton recognize them? And if he did, how would he react to their inexplicable revival? There was little doubt that it would be positive, but the details were mostly unpredictable, largely because they were dealing with Mettaton.

Aaron typed rapidly for several seconds, then stood back and twiddled his thumbs as a beeping sound played from the computer.

"What is it, Aaron?" Mettaton voice could be heard from the computer monitor, dripping with exaggerated annoyance.

"T-there's someone outside the mansion who says they need to see you." He explained. "It's a s-skeleton kid with a flower."

Mettaton paused before responding. "Give them a free coupon, maybe they'll like that."

Aaron glanced down at Frisk, who met him with a pleading cute face. Flowey decided to join in on it this time, causing the seahorse to sweat uncomfortably from the pressure.

"S-sir, could you please talk to them? T-they're making these really creepy cute faces."

Mettaton groaned. "It is part of your job to keep my desperate admirers sated. But since you clearly can't handle that, I'll take over for their sake." A rectangular camera emerged from the ground, lighting up and focusing on Frisk.

 _Hello._ Frisk signed shyly at the camera.

From the computer monitor, they heard Mettaton gasp. The camera abruptly retracted into the ground, and rapid footsteps could be heard from the monitor. Moments later, Mettaton burst out of his mansion, opening the gate and sweeping Frisk up in a tight hug.

If they could, Frisk would have yelped in surprise. Instead, they just stared at Mettaton in startled confusion.

Mettaton squeezed them. "Frisky-darling, is it really you?"

Aaron yelped. "Frisk? Y-you mean..." He trailed off, staring at Frisk in fear as he hid behind his desk. Evidently, the supernatural implications of this were too much for him to handle.

 _I was worried you wouldn't recognize me._ They signed at Mettaton shakily.

"You're wearing the exact same clothes." Mettaton noted, raising an eyebrow. He looked like he very much wanted to say something about their dirtiness.

Frisk shook their head. _This isn't the only striped sweater in the world. Nobody else noticed anything strange about me, so I thought my appearance wouldn't be enough._

Mettaton smiled. "Well, not everyone got to see you for long. Most people didn't even know you were the human."

Frisk flinched, and then stared down at their hands.

Immediately, Mettaton realized what he had said. "Oh dear. Perhaps we should go somewhere more private."

Frisk nodded quickly. The sooner they could distance themselves from the crowded city, the better.

Mettaton walked back into the house, not waiting for Aaron to close the gate behind him, and immediately began moving. Compared to the outrageous displays on the outside of the mansion, its interior was very modest. The colours were soft and pleasant, the halls were wide enough to accommodate almost anyone, and the art was limited to framed paintings and photographs.

"To be honest, I expected the inside of this place to look just as crazy as the outside."

Mettaton chuckled, glancing down at the flower. "I'm not the only person living here, you know. A home needs to be comfortable for all of its occupants."

Now that their surroundings were quiet, Frisk had calmed down considerably. They leaned against Mettaton, curiously taking in the mansion's decor.

"Who are you, anyways? The last time I saw Frisk, they did not have a flower curled around their neck." Mettaton looked down at said flower with distaste.

Flowey just scoffed in response. "I'm Flowey the Flower. I'm Frisk's best friend, and I found them first after they came back, so I get to go with them!"

Mettaton glanced at Frisk. "Is this true, darling?"

Frisk nodded vigorously without a moment's thought. Even after everything that Asriel had done as Flowey, there was no question in the child's mind that he still deserved that title.

Mettaton seemed bemused at the sight of this, while Flowey seemed stunned. Neither said anything more, and they kept moving through the halls of the mansion.

Eventually, they came to a door labelled "Blooky's Room", from inside which the sound of soft ghostly music could be heard. Mettaton knocked on the door, still holding Frisk with his other arm.

"Oh, you can come in." Napstablook called out, his voice sound notably more mechanical than it used to.

The room had a wooden floor, with space wallpapers and a depiction of the solar system on the ceiling. Instead of a bed, the room contained a large couch, along with a television and computer. A locked chest was present in the room, along with a closet labelled "recharge".

Napstablook was seated in front of the computer, his swivel-chair turned to face them. His current form matched the grey-haired robot from the book; he had speakers on his chest, shoes instead of boots, and smaller shoulders than Mettaton's body.

When he saw who Mettaton was carrying, Napstablook's eyes widened in surprise. "U-um...I don't want to be rude, but are you F-Frisk? Y-you look a lot like them."

Frisk nodded, giving him a thumbs-up.

"O-oh, wow. I didn't know humans could turn into skeletons like that."

Mettaton placed Frisk gently on the couch, then sat down next to them. "I didn't think it was possible at all until just a few minutes ago. Frisk, would you mind telling us what you remember?"

 _I fell asleep after the barrier broke, and then I woke up in..._ Frisk trailed off, not wanting to say it out loud.

Mettaton frowned. "Oh dear. So you really don't know what happened, then?"

Frisk shook their head. _Eventually, I want to talk to Alphys about it._

"If you're looking for someone, we could take you to them after the show." Napstablook offered, smiling meekly.

Mettaton cheered. "Blooky, that's a fantastic idea! While we're at it, since we have to leave for the show soon, how about I give the two of you free backstage passes?"

Flowey looked off to the side with a frown. "I don't think it would good if people noticed Frisk in the middle of your performance."

"Not a problem, little flower. You and Frisk will both get exclusive balcony seating."

Frisk wrapped Mettaton in a tight hug, then ran over to Napstablook and hugged them as well. _Thank you._ They signed once both hugs had been completed.

Napstablook blushed. "O-oh...you're welcome."

It had been a long day, and Frisk still had many unanswered questions, but they were very happy at the moment. They could easily reach any of their friends now, so they had hope that everything would turn out alright. A distraction was probably what they wanted most right now, and Mettaton was easily one of the most attention-grabbing individual Frisk had ever met; only Papyrus could ever hope to rival him in this regard.

With luck, they would be meeting the latter soon after the former.


	4. Oh! Welcome Back

Frisk had never been to a big theater before, so they were amazed by what they saw after reaching their balcony seat. It was a huge chamber, with multiple floors of large balconies, in addition to the small VIP ones. The stage itself was mostly covered up by a large red curtain, leaving only a small space in front. The colour scheme was largely red and gold, along with the brown of the wood walls and stage. The regular seats were filled to capacity with humans and monsters alike. It was strange that Frisk's own seat had not been claimed already - they suspected that Mettaton kept some of the VIP balconies in reserve for his friends.

They didn't have to wait long for the show to start - the lights soon began to dim, and an announcer asked the audience to turn off their cellphones. Frisk was briefly reminded that they no longer had a cellphone, and they resolved to ask Mettaton about securing a new one after the show.

Just as Frisk was thinking about him, the robotic star strode in front of the curtain with a spotlight shining on him, greeting the audience's wild cheering with a bow. Upbeat music played in the background as he spoke.

"Welcome, humans and monsters - and thank you for the applause! I'm so happy to be back in town after oh-so-much time touring the continent!" He said, waving at the audience. "I know you're all just as excited as me, so I won't bother wasting your time with the pre-show. Without further ado, let's welcome my fellow performers back home!"

The curtain parted, revealing a wide stage with a flashing multi-coloured dance platform in the middle. On a second, taller platform behind the dance area, Napstablook was acting as a DJ, currently playing Mettaton's introductory song.

"As usual, I am accompanied by a cast of wonderful performers - starting with my dear cousin, Blooky! Give them a round of applause, everyone!"

The audience cheered accordingly, prompting Napstablook to duck their head down shyly, which only caused the audience to cheer even louder in support.

Mettaton leaped onto the dance platform, holding his hand out stage right. "Next up is my second cousin, Mads, whose passion for justice burns almost as brightly as their hatred of boring people!"

The mad not-dummy ran next to Mettaton, laughing dramatically and crossing their arms. They received similar cheering, although it was not as intense as what the previous two had received.

"The fourth member of our troupe is quiet and reserved, but they have a lot in store for you tonight! Yes, it's our good pal Cotton!"

The green robot, Cotton, walked in and took their place to the right of the dance platform, observing the audience in idle curiosity. The clapping was subdued once again, but not so much so that it would have been rude.

Mettaton did a twirl, and then pointed up into the air. "Of course, we can't possibly forget our fishy friend! Let's all give a warm welcome to the lovely Shyren!"

Shyren descended slowly from the ceiling, not currently inhabiting the rocket-fishbowl that Frisk had observed in the magazine. Fittingly, she seemed very shy about getting up on stage, and floated to the back, behind the robots. However, when the audience cheered wildly for her, she blushed and smiled in response - Frisk was sorely tempted to squeal in delight over how cute she looked when she did that.

For his part, Flowey looked intrigued. "I've never seen anything like this before. Considering how Mettaton's fight with you went, I'm expecting this thing to look pretty cool."

Frisk blinked at Flowey in surprise. _You liked that?_

"Yeah, he may be a rampantly egotistical maniac, but he sure knows how to put on a good show. I probably wouldn't like this if it was something plot-heavy, but it looks to me like they'll mostly be dancing and stuff."

 _That makes sense._ Frisk nodded.

Mettaton snapped his fingers. "Last, but not least, here's the dutiful worker that'll never quit, even when he desperately wants to: Burgerpants!"

"Wait, what the heck?" Flowey was immediately caught off-guard by this declaration.

Burgerpants emerged looking uncharacteristically subdued, nervousness displayed on his face instead of exasperated anger. He was wearing a black t-shirt and black pants, with a white MTT logo on the front. He gave a sincere smile, doing his best to look friendly.

Rather than making another announcement, Mettaton snapped his fingers, prompting all of the other cast members to pose in perfect unison. Napstablook pressed a button, and a song began to build up. The troupe began to dance, starting off small and getting more dramatic as the song picked up. Instead of following the same choreography, each dancer had their own unique moves, seemingly designed to reflect their personality. The song was perfect for them: fast-paced and easy to dance to, but it felt open to all the troupe's contrasting members - as opposed to favouring the aesthetic interests of one over the other. It used powerful synthesized instruments, which worked well with virtually any sort of dancer, as long as they kept to the beat. Frisk was particularly curious about the green robot, Cotton - presumably the dummy Frisk had encountered in the ruins. Their dancing was very similar to a dance that Frisk remembered as "the robot", and their facial expression was perpetually one of mild interest. It was as if they regarded everything from the perspective of a passive casual observer.

Watching the group perform like this, Frisk felt a surge of joy for Mettaton. He'd dreamed of performing for humans on the surface, and now his wish had come true. He certainly seemed to be happy at the moment, performing alongside his family proudly. Even Napstablook and Shyren were enjoying themselves, though they remained safely at the back of the group.

Frisk glanced at Flowey, who was watching the performance attentively. It was probably just curiosity, and that was to be expected - this new reset-free world was filled with new things for him to enjoy. They were happy that he was enjoying himself somehow, but they wished that he could be Asriel again. If he could be back for good, that would make everyone happier in the long term, even if he didn't think so.

The song faded out before too long, and the audience applauded enthusiastically. Mettaton bowed proudly, and then raised his arm into the air. On cue, a microphone fell from the ceiling and he caught it, an electronic pop song starting the moment it landed in his hand. Almost immediately afterwards, he launched into a song, the others acting as synchronized dancers and backup singers, with the exception of Napstablook. Within the first twenty seconds of the song, Frisk was able to identify it as a song about following your dreams - something that Mettaton obviously felt very strongly about, given his past.

But that wasn't all there was to it. As the song went on, the lyrics started talking about the importance of friends and family, noting that they need to be valued even while you're pursuing your ambitions. Coming from Mettaton, it sounded a lot like an apology, and this probably wasn't even the first time he'd sung it. Frisk could only imagine what it must have been like when the song first debuted.

Even now, the song seemed to have an effect on them, as Napstablook started to blush and smile when these themes came up. Frisk wondered how a robot could blush - was that an intentional feature, or was there some kind of magic involved?

"Oh, wow..." Flowey stared at Mettaton, his voice sounding almost impressed. There was a hint of something else in his tone as well, but Frisk couldn't quite catch what it was.

As soon as he noticed Frisk watching him, Flowey turned to the child indignantly. "What? It's just a pretty good song!" He snapped.

 _I like it too._ Frisk said.

Flowey turned to watch the show again, avoiding Frisk's gaze. They caught him making the same face as before soon afterwards, but didn't focus on it for long. If he was making progress, then they didn't want to interrupt it by embarrassing him.

The show went on for five more songs, adding up to seven in total. Probably not the longest show anyone had ever put on, but it was quite possibly the most dramatic thing Frisk had ever seen. Every song had earned clapping and cheering from the audience, but their reaction to the final song was by far the largest. It was far too loud for the cast to offer any closing remarks, so they simply bowed, then waved to the audience as they left to stage. At one point, while the spotlight was briefly on somebody else, Mettaton looked up at Frisk, winking and jerking his head backstage. Apparently, he wanted them to make their way over there themselves. Considering that most people didn't recognize them - or in the case of many of the humans, had never met them in the first place - they could only assume that Mettaton had given them VIP access via physical description. Maybe he'd taken secret photos of them while he was in the mansion?

In any case, they wouldn't be left wondering for long. They made their way down to the theater's lobby, a huge fancy place filled with chairs, tables and decorations. A pair of fire monsters was operating a large bar, coloured dark blue and dark green respectively. Recalling the two occasions on which they'd visited Grillby's, Frisk wondered if bartending was a tradition for fire monsters.

As there were obvious entrances in the lobby, Frisk's only option was to push through the crowd and literally go to the back of the stage. A muscular bear monster in a long coat was standing on the stage now, but he nodded at Frisk and let them pass. As they suspected, he had made sure for them to grant the Skeleton in the striped sweater backstage access. Walking past assorted props and tools, they walked through a door and into backstage proper. The back halls were just as fancy as the lobby, though their only contents were more equipment. They quickly spotted a door labelled "CAST", and quietly ducked inside before something could interrupt them.

* * *

Frisk had expected a utilitarian dressing room, but what they found was more like a lounge with costumes and makeup supplies. It had a multitude of cushioned chairs, positioned in front of desks with mirrors, and a massive couch that could easily seat twelve Mettaton-sized people - although in this case, it only needed to accommodate four. The robots were all seated on the couch, chatting with each other casually. Burgerpants was seated in one of the chairs, looking himself in the mirror in what appeared to be a moment of intense self-reflection. Shyren was in the corner, speaking with a monster Frisk had not expected to see here: Lemon Bread.

"I like your singing." They said, giving Shyren a toothy smile.

"Thank you." Shyren whispered, so quietly that Frisk didn't actually hear it - they had to read her lips.

When Mettaton noticed that Frisk had entered, he jumped to his feet and ran over to the child. The others looked towards the former human, alerted to their presence by his movement. All of them had directly encountered Frisk along the way, and Mettaton had probably informed them of Frisk's presence already, so it was no surprise when they all recognized them immediately. Most of them were shocked, and almost all of them were happy; Cotton was still just casually interested, while Mads stared at them in annoyance.

"Hello again, darling! Did you enjoy our performance?" Mettaton asked Frisk brightly.

Frisk nodded. _I've never seen one of your normal shows before. It was amazing to watch._

Napstablook smiled. "We made sure to do our best, because we knew you'd be in the audience."

"Perfect, perfect, perfect!" Mads yelled, jabbing a finger at Frisk. "That's what our performance was! You'd have to be a dummy to dislike it!"

Burgerpants swiveled his chair around, staring at the child anxiously. "Is this actually happening? You're really here, and I'm not finally going insane?"

 _Don't worry, I'm real._ Frisk reassured him.

Flowey smirked at the troupe of monsters. "Are any of you really surprised, considering they made it through the entire underground?"

"I expected them to die. They were a human, and I only met them once." Cotton noted, frowning slightly.

Frisk approached Cotton. _When I fought Mads, they said that I had scared you when I tried to talk to you. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to._

Cotton smiled. "Actually, I was scared of Toriel. Mads just assumed it was you, because you're the one who was talking to me."

Frisk looked away, suddenly reminded of the motherly boss monster. They had no idea what they would say to Toriel if they were reunited with her right now, and they weren't sure if they could ever think up something satisfactory. However, they still very much wanted to see her again, in spite of all the challenges it would create. Knowing she would probably give anything to see them again...if they were still human, it would have filled them with determination.

Meanwhile, in response to Cotton's correction, Mads yelled out indignantly. "That's a perfectly reasonable assumption to make! She's a mom, so I didn't think she could be scary!"

Lemon Bread burbled, glaring at Mads. "You could have visited the ruins more often."

"The monsters in the ruins were boring, boring, boring! I didn't want to associate with boring people!" Mads crossed their arms, stomping their feet with each utterance of the word 'boring'.

Flowey coughed. "Hey, I don't mean to interrupt, but I wanted to say something about your performance.

Burgerpants whipped his head towards Flowey, leaning forward with rigid tension. "Was it good?"

Flowey blinked. "Yeah, it was good. I-I liked the way you guys...worked together." Flowey spoke sincerely, sounding surprisingly meek. He snapped back into his usual persona moments later, catching Frisk's incredulous stare. "Don't give me that look! I just thought it was cool that they were so well-coordinated!"

Napstablook blushed again. "I'm glad we made you happy."

Frisk winced, expecting Flowey to snap at the shy robot, but instead he just stared in confusion. This reaction puzzled Frisk, but they didn't want to ask in front of other people. Better to wait until they were alone with him.

Flowey coughed. "S-so anyways, what are they doing here?" Flowey gestured at Lemon Bread in any attempt to change the subject.

"I control the special effects." Lemon Bread gave a flexed thumbs-up.

Frisk blinked their pupils and tilted their head at them in surprise.

Lemon Bread shrugged. "It's interesting, but the best part is helping my sister."

For several seconds there with a lull in activity, during which Mettaton glanced around, in case somebody else spoke up. When nobody did, the star flashed a smile and snapped his fingers. "Now that all that business has been taken care of, it's time for us to present Frisk with their special welcome-back gift!"

Frisk widened their eyes in surprise. _You got me a gift?  
_  
"Of course I did! This is a very important occasion!" Mettaton spoke as though the very concept of not giving them a gift was appalling. Before another word could be said, he whipped out a small rectangular object - Frisk had no idea where he had gotten it from - and handed it to Frisk.

Upon inspection, the object turned out to be a red cell phone. It had a sleek rectangular design, with a keypad positioned below the screen. Frisk turned it on experimentally, and found that it came pre-installed with a wide variety of apps, including an internet browser and an updated surface version of Undernet. It also had detailed contact information for all of the Troupe's members.

Flowey inspected the phone in bemusement. "What's with all this pre-installed stuff? How did you have the time to get it in the phone?"

"We had a member of our staff set up the phone for us during the show. Mettaton wrote down instructions for them." Cotton explained.

Mettaton waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, it was no trouble at all. Frisky-darling deserves nothing less than the latest in cell-phone technology!"

 _So why is Undernet still around?_ Frisk asked.

Mettaton laughed. "Oh, you can thank Alphys for that. Since she wasn't the royal scientist anymore, she decided to work on a new version of Undernet instead. Monsters were happy to see it come to the surface with them, and it caught on quickly with the humans."  
 _  
What is she doing now? She lives with Undyne, right?_ They continued asking, still curious about Alphys's situation.

Mettaton nodded. "She lives with her girlfriend. Her actual job is as an Undernet administrator, but she also attempts to create new inventions sometimes."

Suddenly, Mads stomped the ground loudly, getting everybody's attention as they pointed at Frisk. "Hey, hey, hey! I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's late at night, and a kid like you shouldn't be out like this!"

Napstablook looked at Frisk apologetically. "He has a point. Do you know where you want us to take you?"

Frisk put a hand on their chin. Now that they thought about it again, both options were highly appealing. Wherever they went, their old clothes would probably be washed off, which would make it much harder for the other party to recognize them. They supposed that it would be possible to tell Sans things only Frisk could know, at which point Papyrus would be relatively easy to convince. But if Toriel was introduced to a fresh Frisk with new clothes, she would never believe them.

I _'m not sure where to go._ Frisk admitted. _I think it's important for me to visit Sans and Papyrus, but I also really want to see Toriel again. I'm also worried that either Papyrus or Toriel will want to clean my clothes, which will make it harder for the others to recognize me._

"Oh my, that really is a dilemma." Mettaton frowned.

Cotton smiled. "Papyrus has a reputation for being quirky, but honest. If you tell him to call all your friends over for a very important surprise, they will not think it's unusual, because it is Papyrus."

Frisk was surprised they hadn't thought about it before, but the idea was immediately appealing to them. _Thank you, that's a really good idea! I'll go see the skeletons, then._ They signed, bouncing up and down excitedly.

"But it's getting late, like Mads said." Napstablook pointed out. "You might have to explain why you don't want clean clothes, and then wait until morning to call everyone."

 _Yeah, you're probably right._ Frisk admitted. _I'll see what Papyrus and Sans think about the idea._

"Now we just need somebody to take Frisk there." Mettaton said, looking very conspicuously at Burgerpants.

Burgerpants just shrugged. "Anything for you, little buddy. I wouldn't have gotten to become an actor if it wasn't for you."

Frisk was amazed by how quickly their situation had improved once they found Mettaton. They got to visit his house, then they saw his show, and now they had a brand new cell-phone and a free ride to the skeleton brothers' house. They still weren't capable of much determination, but with all of these good things happening, a growing feeling of hopefulness was rising up in its place.

Hope was nice. They could settle for that.

* * *

Meanwhile, on a stone path not too far away, someone had just finished putting the lights of the city behind them.

She hadn't actually gone through the city, but had decided to walk along the outside wall instead. Most people would have gotten bored doing this, but not her. Mom had always told said that patience is a virtue, and that she was such a good girl for always waiting so politely. She was happy to please her mother, but it was never something she had to actively work at. She was just a very patient person.

Patience wasn't just about waiting, though. It also meant being able to take action at the right time. This was another thing that she was naturally good at, so she wasn't surprised at all when she woke up. She could feel in her bones that she had been sleeping for ages, but now that perfect moment had finally arrived.

Her mom had always said that if she got lost, she should go and wait somewhere familiar, where she could find her. Nothing was familiar anymore, and her mom probably wasn't looking anymore, so she couldn't really do it the way they used to. Instead, she'd have to do the next best thing - finding a familiar person.

She already knew exactly who to look for, and it would only be a matter of time before she found her. She just had to be patient.


	5. Reunion Start!

As it turned out, the trip to the skeleton brothers' house had to be rescheduled to the next morning, as Frisk had accidentally fallen asleep on the way back to the mansion. They had left shortly after waking up, and had been promptly driven to Newer Home, the monsters' latest capital. Frisk didn't need to ask anyone to know that Asgore had named it.

It was a humble town, only average-sized by human standards, but the nature of its inhabitants meant that it definitely stood out. Its architecture was as diverse as the biomes of the underground, and "downtown vs not downtown" was the only distinction that Frisk had been able to draw from what they had seen. It looked as though each monster had been allowed to build their house however they wanted. The city was located very near the coast, presumably as a way to accommodate aquatic monsters.

Sans and Papyrus's house was located roughly in the center of town, and it appeared to be a larger, less snowy version of their old home. They now had a front lawn and a backyard, plus a driveway for Papyrus's car; his license plate read "GRT-PAP". A row of hedge bushes lined the front of the house, and the grass was neatly trimmed.

Once the car had parked in front of the house, Frisk and Flowey stepped outside, quickly saying goodbye to Burgerpants. He nodded at them, and then drove off down the street, leaving the two of them alone on the sidewalk.

Frisk was still a little nervous about seeing the skeletons again, but for the most part they were excited. After all, they were confident that they would be well-received by Papyrus, and Sans would be easy enough to convince. The only reason they were nervous at all was because Sans might decide to be scary at first. Nonetheless, they walked up to the brothers' front door, knocking on it without hesitation.

Almost immediately, Frisk could hear the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching. After several seconds, Papyrus came into view, and moments later he flung open the door. He wore a large red sweater and yellow shorts, with red and blue sneakers on his feet.

"Welcome to the home of The Great Papyrus, Monster Ambassador!" He proudly declared. "What can I do for-" he stopped, eyes widening when he realized who was in front of him.

 _Hello_. Frisk signed.

Papyrus grabbed Frisk, hugging them tightly. "Frisk, you're alive! I'm so happy to see you again!"

 _I'm glad to see you too!_ Frisk signed once they were able to use their arms again.

"I thought I would never see you again." Papyrus admitted. "But now you're back, and you're a skeleton too! This is the greatest day of my life!"

The house's interior was decorated similarly to how their old home had been, much like the exterior. However, the differences between the two were much more notable once you stepped inside, particularly because it had many more rooms available. First there was a simple but spacious foyer, with a table, a mat to put your shoes on and a closet for people's coats. The bone portrait had been moved into this room, and each of the connecting rooms was labelled with a sign above the door written in Papyrus's font. From there, one could access the living room, the dining room or the kitchen.

Frisk peeked into the living room, which was occupied by a couch, several chairs, tables, and a large television with a video game console attached. Sans was seated in one of the armchairs, his eyes closed in relaxation, while Undyne was wide awake on the couch. Sans was wearing his usual hoodie and shorts, while Undyne wore a black t-shirt and jeans.

Undyne noticed Frisk immediately, but since she was only able to see a portion of their head, she did not immediately recognize them. "Hey, Papyrus, is this one of your cousins or something?"

"I don't think we have those." Sans said with a yawn, his eyes still closed.

"They aren't a relative, but they're still someone we know very well!" Papyrus picked Frisk up, carrying them into full view.

Undyne's squinted at the skeletal child. "Hey, they kind of look like..." Her eyes widened in realization, and she spluttered for several seconds instead of finishing her sentence.

Sans slightly opened one eye in curiosity, only for both to shoot open in shock once he saw who it was. "Frisk?!"  
 _  
I'm the legendary fartmaster._ Frisk signed, looking at Sans with a smile. Nervous though they were about his reaction to them, they couldn't help but be amused by the immature joke.

Undyne stared at them. "What the heck does that mean?"

Sans waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. It's just a little inside joke, which I guess is supposed to prove their identity to me."

"Does that mean you believe them?" Papyrus asked nervously.

Sans hesitated, then sighed. "Yeah, I do."

"Well, I need proof too!" Undyne leapt to her feet, pointing a finger at Frisk. "If you're really Frisk, then what did we make when we hung out at my house? I never told anyone that!"

"You told us that it caused your house to burn down." Papyrus said.

Undyne growled. "The point is, only Frisk would know the specific kind of food we made!"

Remembering how their hangout with Undyne had gone, Frisk actually laughed; it was a quiet and raspy noise, as they were completely unused to making vocal noise. As a human, their problem had been a lack of functional vocal cords - but since a skeleton clearly didn't use those to talk, that wasn't an issue for them anymore.  
 _  
You made me tea, and then you tried to teach me how to cook pasta with vegetables._ Frisk signed, still laughing as they did.

"Y-yeah, that's right. I guess it really is you, then...?"

Frisk nodded. _I'm happy to see you again._

Undyne rushed over and grabbed Frisk out of Papyrus's arms, hugging them tightly. "I knew you couldn't be gone for real! Don't ever leave us like that again, or I'll beat you up!"

Sans walked over to Frisk and Undyne, tears beginning to form in his eye sockets. "I really missed you, kid."

Papyrus was already crying outright, hugging Undyne and Frisk. "Even death is powerless before our unbreakable bonds of friendship!"

Flowey coughed. "Uh, hi. I'm here too."

Almost immediately, everyone turned to face Flowey. Sans looked nervous and Undyne looked confused, but Papyrus just looked happy. Somehow, he had managed to stop crying instantly.

"Hi, Flowey! What are you doing here with Frisk?" Papyrus asked him.

He turned to face Papyrus, smiling brightly. "I was next to their grave when they crawled out of it. I didn't want them to go off on their own, so I decided to come with them!"

"So you're the one who's been taking care of Frisk while they were traveling here?" Undyne asked, squinting at Flowey.  
 _  
We took care of each other, actually._ Frisk signed.

"Wowie! You two must be really good friends!" Papyrus exclaimed.

Sans shrugged. "Well, I guess we have nothing to worry about now that Frisk is with us."

"That's right! If anyone wants to mess with you, they'll have to get through me!" Undyne yelled.

Seeing all of their friends so happy to see them, Frisk felt a strong sense of relief wash over them. Despite their fears, each of their friends had accepted them very quickly - all it took was a little bit of evidence, which Frisk was happy to provide. Maybe adjusting to this new form wouldn't be as hard as they thought it would be.

Undyne finally set Frisk down on the floor, looking at them in concern. "I'm really happy to see you, kid, don't get me wrong - but how the heck did this happen?"  
 _  
I don't know._ Frisk admitted. _I just woke up under the dirt. I looked like this, and I couldn't feel my determination anymore._

Papyrus gasped. "So you're a monster now, like us?"

Frisk nodded. _I don't know how, but I am._

Undyne crossed her arms. "I have no idea how this is possible, but we need more information. I'm gonna call Alphys and ask her to come over here."

"You should call Asgore and Toriel too! They would surely love to see Frisk again!" Papyrus suggested.

"Oh boy, here we go." Flowey muttered.

Rather than calling all three of their remaining friends at once, Undyne had decided to contact Alphys first, informing her of the situation in full. The lizard scientist had promised to gather her equipment immediately and arrive as soon as she could. Meanwhile, Asgore and Toriel were simply asked to visit at dinner, in order to discuss an unspecified important topic. Both of them had politely agreed, apparently suspecting nothing about what they were going to encounter.

The scientist had started her short drive to the house within half an hour, during which Frisk was fed a "Sanswich" - a sandwich made by Sans - at the insistence of their concerned friends. Papyrus had apologized for being unable to provide them with spaghetti, explaining that pasta was already their dinner plan.

"Don't worry, Papyrus is actually good at cooking now." Sans assured Frisk. "Toriel gave him proper lessons almost immediately."

Papyrus glared at Sans. "I've always been a master chef! The queen merely helped me expand my vast skills to even greater levels of vastness!"

"She's pretty great at it, actually." Undyne rubbed the back of her neck. "Her style is totally boring, but the food tastes really good."

It was then that Alphys announced her arrival with a quick series of nervous taps on the door, which were immediately answered by Papyrus. She was wearing a pink Mew Mew Kissy Cutie t-shirt, plus a pair of blue jeans. She was also carrying a large bag, which Frisk assumed was full of cool science devices.

Flowey looked away, avoiding any sort of eye contact with the scientist. Alphys did the same, focusing instead on everyone else in the room.

"H-hi, everyone!" Alphys greeted them with a wave, hurrying into the living room and immediately hugging Frisk.

Frisk was briefly surprised, but they happily hugged her back. _Hello, Alphys!_ They signed once she had let go.

"S-so, you're really, uh, F-Frisk?" Alphys asked, looking them over with a nervous smile.

Frisk nodded. _I don't know if Undyne told you this, but I'm a monster now. I can't feel any determination._

Alphys sat down, looking down thoughtfully. "There's no way a normal human could survive as just a skeleton, but the idea of a human turning into a monster is just as improbable. I'll have to use a CHECK machine to see what's really going on."

Alphys set her bag down and reached into it, pulling out what looked like a stethoscope attached to a rectangular box. Upon being turned on, a display lit up that listed various stats, including DT. Alphys held the "stethoscope" up to Frisk's chest for several seconds, and numbers began to appear on the machine.

MONSTER - FRISK  
LV: 1  
HP: 20  
AT: 10  
DF: 10  
DT: 0

Alphys gasped. "Oh my gosh, there really is none at all! And it's reading you as a monster for sure..."

"Humans don't just turn into monsters out of nowhere. Something had to have caused this." Undyne pointed out.

Sans shrugged. "Frisk is special. If all humans could do what they do, Asgore probably wouldn't have been able to collect any souls."

Frisk looked away for several seconds, then turned back towards their friends. _You guys...buried me, so you must have found my body. Did you find anything there that would be helpful to know now?  
_  
"Well, when we found you, your soul was gone - but your body was still alive at first." Alphys explained tentatively.

Frisk's pupils widened in their sockets. _I was still alive, without a soul?_

Sans nodded. "At first, yeah. I guess there was still enough determination left over to keep it going."

"T-this shouldn't be possible!" Alphys exclaimed. "I mean, o-obviously it's really happening, b-but by all accounts it shouldn't be!"  
 _  
Hey, I'm here now. That's all that really matters, right?_ Frisk signed hopefully.

Alphys nodded, laughing nervously. She didn't seem to be calming down at all. "O-of course it's good that you're back, it's absolutely amazing, but the scientific implications of this are huge! H-humans and monsters are supposed to be fundamentally different, b-but if a human can turn into a monster, then that can't possibly be true! It changes everything, a-and we don't even know how it happened!"

Undyne rushed over to Alphys, pulling her into what seemed to be a hug. The lizard monster squeaked in surprise, but before she could react, Undyne suplexed her with a loud yell.

"Don't worry about any of that, Alphys! We can figure out the rest of this nerd stuff later!" Undyne shouted.

"O-okay, okay! S-sorry, I got really carried away there!" Alphys apologized frantically, dusting off her clothes as she got to her feet.

Frisk shook their head. _I don't mind. Are you okay?_

"I'm used to it." Alphys shrugged.

Undyne grinned. "When someone's really freaking out, the best way to calm them down is by suplexing them! They can't possibly keep worrying about their problems after that."

"Why didn't you suplex Frisk, too?" Papyrus asked her.

Undyne rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Um...I thought maybe they were really fragile, because they were dead for a while, and I didn't want to hurt them."

Frisk giggled. _After everything else that happened to me, I probably would have survived. All the same, though, I appreciate not getting suplexed._

"That's pretty reasonable. I'm a fan of not getting suplexed myself." Sans said.

Papyrus stomped his feet. "Sans! Your HP is too low for it, so you don't count!"

Sans shrugged. "Well, you're not wrong - but don't you think maybe suplexing children is a bit too intense?"

"That was, uh...that was the other reason." Undyne admitted.

Flowey snickered. "Someday, when you're older, you can get suplexed too, Frisk."

Unsurprisingly, Frisk was not particularly looking forward to it.

Eventually, everyone heard another set of knocks at the door. This time they were loud, firm and steady, suggesting that the hand belonged to someone very big.

Papyrus got up and ran over to the door, swinging it open enthusiastically. The front door was not directly visible from the living room, but the voices of Asgore and Toriel could be clearly heard.

"Frisk, it's them..." Flowey whispered nervously.

 _You'll be okay._ Frisk signed, gently patting Flowey's stem afterwards.

The King and Queen entered into the living room, both of them looking very anxious. They did their best to hide it for the sake of politeness, but it was obvious that they were feeling impatient about something - probably Frisk.

Feeling sorry for their adoptive parental figures, Frisk got up and greeted them immediately. They were already here, so it was best not to keep them waiting any longer than necessary. Everyone else had accepted Frisk's return; now all they had to do was hope that the king and queen would believe them as well.

Flowey continued to be evasive, staring in the complete opposite direction of his parents. Frisk felt sorry for him, but decided to leave him alone; there would be time to resolve that problem later.

 _Hi, mom._ They signed, looking up at Toriel nervously.

The moment they saw Frisk, Asgore and Toriel froze, their eyes widening. Toriel let out a gasp, and Frisk could already see tears beginning to form in her eyes.

For several moments, they just stood there, like they were having trouble processing the fact that this was really happening - or maybe they were mentally trying to convince themselves that it was. Toriel broke the silence first, running up to Frisk with a wail and kneeling down into a hug.

"Oh, Frisk my child, I have missed you so dearly!" She cried.

Frisk giggled, hugging Toriel in lieu of any signing. They knew it was possible for them to talk now, technically speaking, but it was still completely new to them, so they preferred not to attempt it.

"I thought that I would never see you again. This is almost unbelievable." Toriel said.

Sans walked up to the two of them. "Almost? What made it believeable? You reacted pretty much right away, Tori."

She laughed, wiping away her tears and looking at him. "I recognized their demeanour, I suppose. There is something unmistakably special about Frisk."

 _Am I really that special?_ Frisk signed, backing off just enough for them to be able to use their hands.

"Of course you are, my child!" Toriel assured them. "After everything that you have done for us, there should be no doubt in anyone's mind about that."

"Don't worry, though! If you don't feel like you can believe in yourself, then I will just believe in you for you!" Papyrus assured them happily.

Undyne gave Frisk a thumbs-up. "You'll do great, kid! I bet you've got some really cool magic in store now that you're a monster!"

Asgore tutted. "One thing at a time, Undyne. Why, we don't even know where Frisk will be staying yet."

Toriel nodded. "Yes, thank you, Asgore. That needs to be sorted out before the night is over. My child, do you have any parents that you still wish to return to?"

Frisk shook their head. _No. Even before this happened, I didn't have anywhere to go. You guys are my family._

Toriel gasped quietly, then beamed at Frisk' words. "Well, in that case, one of us will have to take up the responsibility of being Frisk's guardian! Of course, I would be happy to take care of them myself, but it is only fair that we open the floor to anyone else who might be interested."

Frisk was briefly alarmed by this new possibility, but nobody else seemed eager to contest Toriel's claim. Asgore was the only person in the room besides her who would know how to care for a child, and he looked distinctly uncomfortable with the idea of raising such a suggestion to his ex-wife. His hesitation was probably for the best, considering the cause of their breakup.

"Honestly, you and Asgore are the only ones here who were ever qualified to take care of kids." Sans said, echoing Frisk's thoughts.

"Frisk did originally live with you, as well. It only seems natural that they should do so once again." Asgore murmured.

Toriel nodded decisively, as if this was the outcome she had expected from the start. "Very well, then. I will act as Frisk's caretaker."

 _Flowey doesn't have anywhere to stay, either. Can they come too?_ Frisk asked, gesturing to the plant around their neck.

Toriel blinked. "Well, if you are sure that it is a good idea, then I suppose Flowey can join you if he wants to."

Flowey sighed. "Fine. I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a place to stay. If I agree to this, though, can I please have something to move around in? Living in a flowerpot sounds really unappealing, but I can't spend all my time wrapped around Frisk's neck either."

Alphys raised her hand, sweating nervously as she looked at Flowey with a guilty expression. "I-I, um, I could build you something. Like, a mechanical flower pot, w-with wheels or something. I-if you want me to, I mean."

Flowey smiled sweetly. "Sure thing, doc! We'd better talk about it, though, to make sure it's just right!"

Alphys gulped. "Y-yep, sure thing, F-Flowey."

Frisk caught a devious glint in Flowey's eyes. They suspected that he had some very particular ideas in mind for his personal vehicle. Considering what she had done for Mettaton, they had no doubt that Alphys would be able to satisfy Flowey's wild imagination - within the limits of safety, of course.

Asgore coughed. "Now that everyone's living arrangements have been settled, perhaps we could all sit down and have something to eat?"

Papyrus jumped up and posed dramatically. "That's right! I have been cooking my special, new-and-improved spaghetti, and I suspect it is almost ready! The timer should be going off any moment now! When it does, we will have a feast!"

Sans chuckled. "I can't wait, bro."

Despite Frisk's reservations, the spaghetti turned out to be very, very good. Even Flowey had enjoyed it, although he later claimed in private that it was only because his mom was such a good teacher.

Being brave wasn't easy.

Some people thought that bravery just meant being fearless and cool. Before his adventure, he was one of those people - that he would admit. But who could really blame a kid for something like that? It's only natural that he acted like that! Adults who still think those sorts of things don't have an excuse; whatever happens to make some adults so smart and cool really ought to just happen to all of them.

As he had learned, though, not all adults were smart and cool. They could make very big mistakes, and then other people would have to pay for them. Having been one of those people, he'd been forced to learn the true meaning of bravery. As it turned out, though, real bravery just meant doing what you think is right even when you're scared. The fear is normal - it's fighting through the fear that makes you a brave person.

That had been a relief. Now every time he felt scared of something, he didn't have to worry if he wasn't being strong enough. Sure, he'd still hide it on the outside, but being able to feel it on the inside was so much easier than trying to shut it away.

This new world was scary. He was sure many people were probably scared of humans and monsters living together, but for him it was mostly the crowds that were scary. He was brave, so he ran straight through until he came out at the other side of town. He didn't try to fight people, even when he wanted to, because he knew that they could gang up on him pretty easily. He'd done it before, when he hanging out with his friends while he was very small.

It wasn't just scary, though. More than that, it made him angry. All of that trouble getting up here, so that monsters could fight humanity all over again - but now that they'd actually done it, everything was peaceful? If they were just going to end up making friends, then what was the point of all that time spent hating humans? Why did they kill six of them first, only to treat the seventh like a new best friend?

Well, it didn't matter. He wasn't going to fight all of the monsters who had been responsible for hurting him. After all, he was no agent of justice; that was someone else's job. There was just one monster he wanted to fight: the one who had started it all. He needed someone to take his anger out on, and that guy was the perfect target.

If anyone else tried to get in his way, he'd just beat them up too.


	6. Undernet

**CoolSkeleton95** updated his status:  
ATTENTION, FOLLOWERS! I NOW HAVE A COOL NEW SKELETON FRIEND! THEIR NAME IS FRISK!

 **Friskybusiness** updated their status:  
i'm frisk! hi!

 **sans** updated his status:  
nice to meet ya, frisk.

 **Friskybusiness** updated their status:  
sans! you already know me!

 **CoolSkeleton95** updated his status:  
DO NOT LET HIM BOTHER YOU, FRISK! HE IS JUST UP TO HIS USUAL TOMFOOLERY.

 **ALPHYS** updated her status:  
I guess I have to make a body for a flower? Kind of? He's still a flower, but he wants something to ride around in.

 **Toriel123** updated her status:  
There are so many interesting pie recipes on the surface! I cannot wait to try all of them.

 **ALPHYS** updated her status:  
That doesn't count as a new body. Not even remotely, actually. What would you call that?

 **Shysinger** updated her status:  
i like singing...

 **ALPHYS** updated her status:  
A chariot?

 **ALPHYS** updated her status:  
No wait, that sounds really obnoxious.

 **YourBestFriend** updated his status:  
Alphys, that's a great idea!

 **ALPHYS** updated her status  
Oh My God please don't call it a chariot.

 **YourBestFriend** updated their status  
Too late! As of right now, you're building my Grand Chariot of Hyperdeath! : D

 **Friskybusiness** updated their status:  
you're such a nerd flowey

 **YourBestFriend** updated their status  
Shut up!

 **NAPSTABLOOK22** updated their status:  
um...that doesn't sound very nice...

 **YourBestFriend** updated his status:  
It's not SUPPOSED to be nice, you idiot!

 **NAPSTABLOOk22** updated their status  
oh...ok...

 **METTATON™** updated his status:  
Excuse me, what did you just call my darling cousin?

 **MadKnives666** updated their status:  
TAKE THAT BACK OR I'LL BURN YOU TO DEATH YOU STUPID LITTLE WEED

 **Cottonheart** updated their status:  
: o

 **YourBestFriend** updated his status:  
What? You guys wanna fight?

 **Friskybusiness** updated their status:  
flowey, don't provoke the killer robots! : (

 **YourBestFriend** updated his status:  
Oh, come on! It'll be fffghdahdhkadshadjslstioaitasty  
 **  
Toriel123** updated her status:  
Oh my goodness it sounds like there is a lot of commotion going on downstairs  
 **  
Toriel123** updated her status:  
WHAT IN THE WORLD

 **Friskybusiness** updated their status:  
papyrus can i stay at your house i'm already running over there but i thought it would be polite to ask first  
 **  
CoolSkeleton95** updated his status:  
I APPLAUD YOUR GOOD MANNERS, FRISK! YOU ARE WELCOME TO STAY AT MY HOME WHENEVER YOU DESIRE! AFTER ALL, THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS AN EXCELLENT HOST!

 **sans** updated his status:  
what's up kiddo?

 **Friskybusiness** updated their status  
moms house has a killer robot infestation, and also it's on fire

 **StrongFish91** updated her status:  
NGAHHH! How dare they attack your house?! I'll make those tin cans pay!

 **ALPHYS** updated her status:  
Undyne Please Don't Kill Mettaton

 **sans** updated his status:  
yikes  
 **  
burgerhell** updated his status:  
I don't know what the weed was expecting, making comments like that. Everyone knows you shouldn't insult Napstablook around Mettaton™. Or on public chat mediums that Mettaton™ uses.

 **CoolSkeleton95** updated his status:  
THIS IS ALARMING NEWS, BUT I AM SURE THAT MY FRIENDS WILL BE FINE!  
 **  
CoolSkeleton95** updated his status  
THEY ARE ALL SO STRONG THAT ANY FIGHT THEY HAD WOULD INEVITABLY END IN A TIE!

 **Toriel123** updated her status:  
For those of you who may be concerned about the situation at my house, I have managed to defuse the situation by putting Flowey and the robots in time-outs.  
 **  
Toriel123** updated her status:  
I fear that it will take more effort than this to actually solve the problem, but at least they are no longer fighting.  
 **  
Friskybusiness** updated their status:  
so what are we doing now?

 **Toriel123** updated her status:  
You may stay at Papyrus's house tonight if you wish, Frisk. I would feel better if you were away from this volatile situation.

 **Friskybusiness** updated their status:  
i feel safer here so im definitely going to do that!

 **KingDad** updated his status:  
Erm...are you okay, dear?

 **StrongFish91** updated her status:  
She's fine, Asgore. We totally beat up those robots together!

 **Toriel123** updated her status:  
Flowey retreated when I entered the room, which made it slightly less chaotic. I will be giving him quite the scolding later.

 **MadKnives666** updated their status:  
That flower deserved it! Stupid, stupid, stupid!

-

 **ALPHYS** updated her status:  
So all that fighting stuff has been resolved, which is good.

 **ALPHYS** updated her status:  
But now I have to keep working on Flowey's...flowerpot thing.

 **CoolSkeleton95** updated his status  
HOW IS IT GOING, DOCTOR ALPHYS? IF IT'S ANYTHING LIKE METTATON™, IT WILL BE VERY IMPRESSIVE!

 **METTATON™** updated his status:  
Thank you, darling~

 **ALPHYS** updated her status:  
It's? Kind of terrifying?

 **ALPHYS** updated her status:  
He wants it to have machine guns and rocket launchers.

 **ALPHYS** updated her status:  
And an mp3 player.

 **YourBestFriend** updated his status:  
Don't forget the sawblade arm!

 **KingDad** updated his status status:  
That is certainly...ambitious.

 **StrongFish91** updated her status:  
Guns?! No way, he should get ONLY sawblade arms! Like, at least four of them!

 **YourBestFriend** updated his status:  
Machine guns are cool!  
 **  
StrongFish91** updated her status?  
Sawblades are cooler!

 **StrongFish91** updated her status  
Swords are the coolest, obviously, but I don't know how you'd put a sword on a flowerpot.

 **NAPSTABLOOK22** updated their status:  
i'm getting paid to produce music for a tv show...which is cool...

 **NAPSTABLOOK22** updated their status:  
it's my first non-mettaton job ever...

 **CottonHeart11** updated their status:  
whats it about o:  
 **  
NAPSTABLOOK22** updated their status:  
i think it's an anime?

 **StrongFish91** updated her status:  
HELL YES!

 **MadKnives666** updated their status  
Eugh! Anime is garbage!

 **MadKnives666** updated their status:  
...But at least the music will be good.

 **NAPSTABLOOK22** updated their status:  
oh...thank you...

 **ALPHYS** updated her status:  
Now he wants tank treads?

 **ALPHYS** updated her status:  
Why is this happening to me  
 **  
Friskybusiness** updated their status:  
the tank treads sound like a good idea! o:  
 **  
ALPHYS** updated her status:  
what

 **Friskybusiness** updated their status:  
it would be easier to get around with those, but he might fall over if he had wheels

 **ALPHYS** updated her status:  
Oh my gosh, that's a really good point.  
 **  
Friskybusiness** updated their status:  
hee hee

 **YourBestFriend** updated his status:  
That sounds really cool! It'd be like riding around in my own personal death tank!

 **Friskybusiness** updated their status:  
not a hyperdeath tank?

 **YourBestFriend** updated his status:  
That just sounds like a regular death tank that's hyperactive.

 **Shysinger** updated her status:  
maybe i should try and learn other types of singing?

 **NAPSTABLOOK22** updated his status:  
your singing is already good...but you should try new things if you want to...

 **Shysinger** updated her status:  
i think i could sing pop music, or anime songs, if i recorded it at home.

 **ALPHYS** updated her status:  
oH MY GOSH YES THAT WOULD BE SO GOOD  
 **  
ALPHYS** updated her status:  
I mean...it sounds like a great idea, Shyren!

 **KingDad** updated his status:  
It certainly does! It's never too late to learn new things!

 **Shysinger** updated her status:  
oh wow...thanks guys! ^_^

 **METTATON™** updated his status:  
Be on the lookout for our new MTT-Brand Chocolaton Bars™! In stores now!

 **burgerhell** updated his status:  
They're chocolate bars in the shape of Mettaton's™ rectangle form.

 **METATTON™** updated his status:  
Honestly, I don't know why they ever bothered making chocolate in the shape of anything else.  
 **  
CottonHeart11** updated their status:  
maybe because they hadn't ever met you or heard about you before o:

 **METTATON™** updated his status:  
Well, fair enough. I must admit, though, it's tragic that humans ever had to live without experiencing my fabulous beauty.  
 **  
NAPSTABLOOK22** updated their status:  
yeah, you're honestly really cool...

 **MadKnives666** updated their status:  
Hmmph. You're arrogant, but we still love you.  
 **  
sans** updated his status:  
that's pretty much mettaton™ in a nutshell  
 **  
CoolSkeleton95** updated his status:  
DOCTOR ALPHYS, HOW IS FLOWEY'S GRAND CHARIOT OF HYPERDEATH COMING ALONG?

 **ALPHYS** updated her status:  
It's almost done, actually! We have a design finalized, I just need to finish building it.

 **ALPHYS** updated her status:  
Toriel convinced him to give up on the weapons, but I did give it a pair of mechanical arms.

 **ALPHYS** updated her status:  
It's painted black, with a TV on the front and hotrod flames on the sides.  
 **  
Friskybusiness**  
a tv, huh...?

 **ALPHYS** updated her status:  
It's kind of random tbh?

 **ALPHYS** updated her status:  
But the TV has a skull on it, which is a lot more like what I expected.

 **YourBestFriend** updated his status:  
Does the TV bother you, Frisk? : )

 **Friskybusiness** updated their status:  
not really, i'm over it 3

 **YourBestFriend** updated his status:  
Well, I think my Grand Chariot of Hyperdeath is really cool.

 **Toriel123** updated her status:  
Remember not to track mud in the house, Flowey.

 **YourBestFriend** updated his status:  
Okay, mom.

-

INT: Have you heard any news about Frisk?

PSV: Indeed I have. They freed everyone, died, and then ended up as a skeleton.

INT: It's funny how that turned out, isn't it?

PSV: Knowing that it happened to them is very useful information! I already have several theories brewing.

INT: I wouldn't have let them stop me if they had still been human, but it will be easier now that they aren't.

PSV: Oh, is that so, Inette? How convenient that you won't have the opportunity to back up your claim.

INT: Don't sass me, Percy. I could take them on either way.

PSV: What makes you think you'd succeed when the whole underground couldn't stop them?

INT: I have good HP and AT, plus I can actually dodge.

PSV: Don't take my insults too seriously. We are still friends.

INT: I don't think this really qualifies as insulting, but yeah, I know. Same to you.

PSV: By the way, did you find them?

INT: I found one of them. The other one found me. He see to think that we'd slow him down too much, so I just made him promise to go and visit you.

PSV: What are their names? I don't want to just say "the other one"

INT: Bradley and Patricia. The latter is coming back with me.

PSV: I've actually just discovered the green one as well.

INT: On the internet?

PSV: Not through direct contact, no. She's just too focused on helping people to keep a low profile.

INT: Fair enough...

PSV: Nobody else recognizes her for what she is, but I got that same feeling of recognition. Like when I saw you.

INT: We were in very close contact. That sort of thing was bound to happen.

PSV: So, I'll see you when you get back, then?

INT: I'm keeping the cell phone.

PSV: What else would you do? I already have one, as you can see.

INT: I'm just saying. In any case, I'll see you later.

PSV: Yep.


End file.
